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Comments
1) It was indeed a Platinum 7/75 $0 deductible warranty as Cliffy reccomends.
2) Reimbursement of the contract price would occur ONLY IF:
a) The car was kept the entire duration of the contract, ie I must keep the car 7 years or 75K
b) NO warranty claims could be submitted, if even one claim was submitted, reimbursement was void
Now if you think about this the only way you win is if you are going to keep the car for the 7/75 and never have a single problem. Of course if you believe this to be likely, why buy the thing at all. Lets say a $200 starter goes. Do you pay the bill with the idea that if nothing else goes you will still get your contract $$$ back? What if a power window switch goes after that? What if the 2005 Camry knocks your socks off and you want a new one? All these things void the buy back portion of the warranty I was offered and was not really mentioned until I pressed for details. Further, I asked if you could save repair receipts and if it becomes a better deal if I could submit the receipts at a later time and still get reimbursed off the 7/75 warranty letting the contract buy back reimbursement go void. I was told that once you pay the bill you can not get a warranty reimbursement. It's a total rip off...
Now, as soon as I mentioned the fact that I had other pricing for a straight 7/75 platinum no deduct warranty an would purchase it else where if they did not match the price...well lets just say all crap went away and the price dropped hundreds!
As to the warranty naysayers I fully realize the 7/75 Platinum is really a 4/39 bumper to bumper extension and that as far as the engine and tranny go really a 2/25 extension. Still I figure if I do keep the car at least 5 years and a door switch or something like that goes it will save me at leat $200. If something else goes another perhaps another $200. The remainder will certainly add to the value of the car if I sell it. Where else could you but a 5 year old car with a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty. I paid $695 for the 7/75, $0 deductible, yea it's insurance but not as over priced as some would make it out be.
(Now if you're a sucker and pay $1100 for the same plan with that buy back option and few oil changes...well......)
Good Luck!
(There was a post referencing a TSP about a cracking noise coming from the moon roof but that's another issue...I don't have one!)
From my expierence I find the cheapest overall way to new car ownership is to take the Mfg. extended warranty and in the case of Toyota ownership do all the Toyota required maintenance and pass on all the dealer suggested maintenance such as their yellow,green,and blue service on every all change and by doing this alone you will save approximately $2,000.00 over 100,000 miles of ownership which is more then 3 times what I paid for my Platinum 100,000 mile warranty with a zero deductible.
In my first week of ownership Toyota had to replace the automatic climate control mechanism in my dash that I believe would have cost me over $500.00 had I had to pay for it.
I paid $630.00 for the Platinum 100,000 mile extended warranty that the selling dealer claimed was his cost so I would say that any price under $900.00 dollars would be fair in my mind and I feel that is a lot of coverage for a small price when you consider the overall cost of the Camry and the high repair costs of any dealer repair.
Just my opionion....best of luck to all the Camry owners in this forum.
I will also tell you that a few years ago, I had a couple of different customers with a similar complaint about their Avalon. From the driver's seat, it sounded like it was coming from near the glove box and only happened when there was no passenger. It bothered one customer so bad that I volunteered to ride in the back seat while he drove. I too could hear the noise. Due to the acoustics of the interior, it did sound like it was coming from the glove box when I moved my head near the driver. When I sat back though, I quickly found the problem. It turns out that when the passenger last exited the car, they left the seatbelt twisted. The buckle as hitting the door pillar. A quick untwist and the noise was gone. The customer was very grateful.
I'm not claiming this is the noise you are hearing but you might want to check it out.
Aren't things like brakes, shocks, tires, belts, clutch, hoses, CV joint boots,not covered because they are wear or normal maintenance items? Maybe they are covered.
If you took 7 years to drive that 100,000 miles wouldn't you have close to $1,300 if you invested that money wisely?
How many Toyotas need major work after only 100,000 miles? Shouldn't all the little bugs be worked out in the normal warranty period.
How much would you be out even if your car was a total loss, if it was 10 years old and had 100,000 miles on it? You'd still have your $1,300.
Not saying you should or shouldn't get insurance, just some things to think about.
What did I finally buy? An Infiniti I35
Have you considered a Infiniti I35? My driveout price on a base 2003 I35 with no Sunroof was 30,000.00 including TT&L (You do get a faster engine 255 hp, HID lights, 200 BOSE 6 CD with tape, longer warranty 4yr/60,000, infiniti service, free loaner, my first 2 yrs of scheduled maintenance is covered by dealer, etc.) I drove 2003 Camry, Accord, Avalon, Maxima and found that the I35 was a great deal overall. The I35 does have a slightly smaller trunk though.
I'm also keeping my ears open for those rattles!
The Platinum Warranty covers all manufacturer or selling dealer installed parts other then wear parts as mentioned above and cosmetic,,trim,glass,weather stripping,carpets,dash cover,paint,bumpers,shinny metals and similar items.
If you are interested and have a fax machine I would be more then happy to fax you a copy of my warranty which explains it all.
To answer your question about would I have been better off investing my cost of the warranty over 7 years and turning it into $1300.00 dollars....well with the dow hitting a five year low wednesday and jumbo C.D'S paying under 4% somehow I doubt that would end up being the end result...LOL.
As for the chances of having a major repair after the standard mfg. warranty ends....well all I can say is with the high cost of today's repairs done at the dealership I believe the cost of an a/c compressor,faulty fuel injection system,or water pump may very well end up costing more then the extended warranty.
I have to make a correction to my last post when I typed in the cost of my warranty being 630.00 dollars which was a mistake......the actual cost of my Platinum warranty was $770.00 dollars for a 6 year Platinum 100,000 mile zero deductable.
Like I said in my last post there is no right or wrong answer to should I purchase a warranty and without a crystal ball none of us know for sure whether or not our choice will turn out to be the right choice but one thing is pretty much for sure the more you spent for your Camry the more you need a warranty...if you bought a standard LE your chances of using your warranty are much less then if you bought a fully loaded XLE with navigation system,power seats,trip computer,c.d player ect.
Wish you the best with your Camry..
Year: 2003
> > Description: Toyota Camry XLE V6
> > Accessories:
> >
> > CF10 MOONROOF WIND DEFLECTOR
> > FP50 SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTOR TECHNICAL SERVICES
> > GVAT PACKAGE #8
> > LEATHER TRIM
> > DRIVER & PASSENGER POWER SEATS
> > POWER TILT/SLIDE MOONROOF
> > UF60 FULL TANK OF GAS
> > FEAT 50 STATE EMISSIONS
> > GUAT PACKAGE #7
> > VEHICLE SKID CONTROL WITH BRAKE ASSIST
> > DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND CURTAIN AIRBAGS
> > PV10 CARPET MATS
> >
> >
> > INVOICE $26,333.01
> > 2% INTERNET FEE 537.41
> > COLOR KEYED SPLASH GUARDS $ 169.00
> > __________
> >
> > SUB TOTAL. . . . . . . . . $27,039.42*
> >
> >
> > * PLUS TAXES, TAGS AND ADMIN FEES
Additionally they are offering a relatively competitive offer for my current vehicle (whose value could then be deducted from the asking price for the Camry for tax purposes).
I am thinking of asking for the extended coverage policy for approximately $700 that I have seen quoted on this board as I plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time.
I am disappointed that I would not be able to get HID lights or the lexus-like dash lights (lights currently offered on the high-end '03 Accord!).
I would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Thanks!!
Looks like frontal-impact results are the same -- 5 stars driver, 4 stars passenger.
Side-impact actually improved to 3 stars front, 5-stars rear (from the 2002's 2/5 stars). They didn't test the one with side airbags.
Unfortunately, I think a 3-star side-impact performance in a relatively new model, even without airbags, leaves a lot to be desired. The previous Camry without airbags was also 3-stars in the front.
If Toyota is relying on the airbag instead of vehicle structure, that's not a good thing. Quite a few other vehicles (older designs too) achieve at least 4-stars without any airbags.
If you own a 2002 V6 Camry, take the car in and complain about the hesitation/jerking problem. It is a real problem, Toyota knows it, but the way they handle TSBs is (as they state in the document) "Warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer's specific complaint". I really love this car and plan on keeping it for a long time now, (after having it fixed) but having to deal with this kind of BS for the first 11,000 miles of the life of my car isn't what I expected after paying almost 25 grands!! There's so much to say about this but I'll rather keep quiet. After all, nothing I say will change anything. I hope you all get your car serviced and fixed.
Now if they could fix the rattles...
Thanks in advance.
Thanks
I can't believe how similar your tale is to mine. I posted a short note earlier about the fix (#4387). The arbitration, Toyota's stance...all the same. I glad it is fixed for me but I put up with the problem for 12,000 miles. I also urge all V6 owners to contact their dealerships. IMO it also fixed some drivability problems at higher speeds.
1. An abnormal "whine/hum" when engaging the clutch.
2. A hesitation in the motor around 3000 RPM, only while accelerating.
3. A ticking while idling.
Any thoughts as to what might be the causes? Thanks!
Not sure if overfilling gas is the problem, I will check this next time the tank is filled. In NJ of course we do not have self serve, so it is left up to the local attendants. Thanks for the tip.
Now, about your V6 question, there is a new V6 coming in January (possibly as late as March) but it will not be in the Camry yet. There is a 3.3 liter V6 coming on the new Sienna. I anticipate it will end up on the Avalon for 2004, but I honestly don't know if it will hit the Camrys in '04 or not. Toyota's typical evolution is to leave a new car alone for the first three years and have cosmetic changes for year's four and five.
None of this means we will not get the new engine sooner in the Camry. It is just that I have not heard anything.
As to the deal on a J car, I can't help you. Most dealers in this area will not even process those deals. They are a nightmare and pay us absolutely nothing.
(Ref Msg #4415 as EG2006 or EG-017-02)
That's the cold weather transmission problem that occurs when initially shifting from reverse to neutral and then to drive.
Not too bad in the summer but a #@*% in cold weather.
I do notice a slight "hunting" type shifting/vibration up around 40 MPH sometimes. Does not seem to be too serious though ... just an annoyance. Never had the effect on any other cars that I've owned.
Is this likely to be the cleaned up by the reprogramming?
Yes, the SYMPTOMS for the ECU problem are shifting/vibration and for some people represent nothing more than an annoyance. The mechanics behind those symptoms (jerking/hesitation, perceived as vibration) will translate into excessive wear and tear of the shifting elements in the transmission due to the continuous and repeated engagement/disengagement of the 4th gear.
Think of it this way: If there is a fix, is because there IS a problem.
WHat I am thinking of doing is replacing the speakers with better speakers, particularly the rear speakers, but possibly other speakers too. A could of questions: 1) has toyota done anything to make this job difficult? 2) what impact will this have on my warentee?
I have been away for some time due to the fact that these boards have become congested, tedious to wade through, and not the meccas of useful information they once were.
That said, I do miss the Camry board because it usually seemed to escape the clutches of the irrational Town Hall users (though not always).
Our 02 LE 4cyl auto has just passed the 15,000 mile mark, with no trouble spots except for a rattle in the glovebox area- which turned out to be the wheel lock key. We are extremely happy with the car- the 4cylinder is refined, peppy and efficient, averaging about 27/28 in a mix of city and hwy. Since the tallest person in our family is 5'8, we have no complaints about drivers seat thigh support, and are indeed impressed with the roominess of the interior, as well as the control layout and attractive gauges (especially at night... the soft white/blue is relaxing). The can handles more precisely than our 00 LE, though it is not as agile as an Accord LX I recently test drove.
In terms of that test drive, the Camry and Accord accelerate very similarly (well) and both ride very smoothly, though the Camry, IMO, still has the edge. The Accord is simply hideous, however. That [non-permissible content removed]! Yuck.
The Accord feels sporty inside, a bit too intimate, perhaps-- the A pillar seems awful close when I adjust the seat to my comfort. The brakes on the Accord are more firm, which I prefer, though with rear drums just as our Camry has and less than grippy tires which were very quick to squeal at moderate speeds, I'm not sure there is a difference in outright ability. I must say, the instrumentation in the Accord is even more impressive than in the Camry, though the center stack is a bit overdone, with buttons that feel decidedly GM-like.
In terms of safety, it will be interesting to see how the two stack up. The Camry garners a Best Pick IIHS rating and 5stars/4stars Frontal, and 3stars/5 stars side impact ratings. [Personally, given the wide variation in TTI for the 02/03 models driver's (92 vs 73), I consider that test anamolous.]
Overall- it really is based on preference. Toyota does have a superior powertrain warranty, as well (Yes, we are talking about Honda and Toyota here, but no mfr. is immune to problems, and theres nothing wrong with a longer period of piece of mind, especially when its free). We are incredibly impressed with the 02, much more so than our 95, 97, or 00- and accordingly, we are glad we purchased this one, instead of the aforementioned models, which we leased. The new Accord is outstanding as well. But for our needs, it would be the Camry if we had to do it over again. The Camry makes everyday driving a positive, comfortable, reliable and refined experience.
Regards, happy motoring, and I'll be back in another two months.
-Alpha
I've got to have the service dept to fix the passenger side remote mirror. It's taken to intermittent mode on the in-out movements after a few adjustments. It must be an overheating servo motor or however they drive the mirror. When I go I'm going to try to get the TSB info on this ECU change to take with me.
I made special notice today on a stretch with the speed at approximately 40MPH. The stuttering is there if you give it just enough gas to hold that speed. But it goes away above and below 40MPH.
Does the ECU reprogramming change the shift point? Or is it known if the change affects performance any other way?
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/59/025967A8.html
does not turn up the TSB's mentioned by cjts in Msg #4415 as EG2006 or EG-017-02.
Bummer!
This Alldata list on TSB/Recalls may not be up to date. Does anyone with access to the Alldata updates know if it's been distributed to the Alldata subscribers yet?
cOke, The ECU re-calibration DOES NOT change the shift points of the transmission, the tranny will still go into fourth gear at 38 mph. What changes is the reaction of the transmission to the contact between the engine and the drive wheels. This is achieved by changing the intelligence of the ECU (the computer of the engine which also controls the tranny). I don't know if the re-calibration would affect performance in any other aspect. Lets hope not. As soon as they do the re-calibration you'll be able to tell the difference in the ride of the car. (in the specified range of speed)
They are offering 0% Apr for 36 months.
They are selling them for $20,708 + the 0.0% with a sunroof, 5-speed, spoiler, and power seats. They have 1 2003 priced at $21,000 with the same options. On top of that they only charge $99 doc fee. It appears to be a pretty good deal to me.
43K summary
Gas consumed: 1828.434 Gallons
Cost of Gas: $2910.56
Average Economy: 23.55 MPG
Best: 34.3 MPG
Worst: 16.8 MPG
Gas Cost per mile: 6.66 cents
Maintenance Cost: $2388.28
Maintenance Cost per mile: 5.5 cents
Miles Covered: 43,670
Running Cost (Gas + Maintenance): $5298.84
Running Cost per mile: 12.13 cents
Bought in November 1999 for $27,538.
Sold in October 2002 for $16,700.
Depreciation: $10,838
Depreciation per mile: 24.8 cents
Direct Cost of Ownership: 36.93 cents per mile
Insurance approx. $600 per year for 3 years = $1800
Insurance per mile: 4.12 cents
Total Cost of Ownership: 41.05 cents per mile